KerryKillers, I don't know about that. The round ball will always bounce the same way, for this level of sports man I don't think it is too much to ask to get a reasonable handle on this. The aussies mastered it pretty well last year so no doubt they are well capable. How many times has it been said that they showed us up at our own game with their kicking? Maybe they just didn't apply themselves properly this year with their tour of New York before coming over.

Remember regardless of the shape of the ball everything to do with possession of it is in the aussies favour. A good pass in our game that bounces in to a lads chest is a hospital pass here. Once our are in possession in our game you can take on a man and likely maintain the ball especially if you have him for pace. Here he will just drag you to the floor and get a free for his trouble. The mark totally negates most GAA defensive tactics where the forward is regularly allowed get the ball then swamped to cough up possession or over carry. Here once the forward can mark the ball he cant be touched, often a simple free on front of the posts.

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 23/11/2015 09:28:35    1809129

Kerrykillers if you had an oval ball it would just be a game of aussie rules.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 23/11/2015 10:39:29    1809165

Horsebox77
County: Kerry
Posts: 2329

1802512
Bastardised game... time to put to bed.... it is only giving the agents an easy chance to rape the gaa of it's future stars for personal gain financial.


Soooo.....you don't like it then?

supermon (Monaghan) - Posts: 1073 - 23/11/2015 10:40:23    1809167

Some lads are taking this game a tad too serious and analysing it to death.If only the Aussies took it that seriously over the years!The Aussies play with an oval ball.We play with a round ball.For fairness to all concerned,how bout they play the next game with a square ball?

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 23/11/2015 10:58:22    1809175

Fair points lads, either way it does little for me!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 23/11/2015 12:06:57    1809200

Froze my a*s off but really enjoyed it I have to say. Thought the Bloody Sunday Tribute was done really well too, was a very nice touch and was great to see the minutes silence observed so well.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 23/11/2015 12:30:57    1809214

maybe play one half round ball, one half oval..for the sake of a fairer contest

keepherlow (Tyrone) - Posts: 127 - 23/11/2015 12:36:04    1809216

Time to get rid of the crossbar and the goalkeeper.

crikey (Australia) - Posts: 355 - 23/11/2015 12:41:13    1809220

Did anybody spot the Australian management asking Taidhg Connelly after the game questions and writing things down, I doubt if they were asking him about the rules of Gaelic games, more like who is that player and that player, wouldn't surprise me if we hear within the next few weeks that Irish players were offered the chance to travel to Australia for trials with Aussie clubs playing Aussie rules, it was an ok match to watch but the threat of Aussie clubs offering chances to our GAA players to play in Australia and in turn we lose our best players in both club and county. I would prefer if like Mickey Harte says we concentrated on our own games and promote the railway cups, I know the line GAA players love to play for their country but we already have a number of options for people soccer, rugby, basketball etc. At the moment we expect the Aussies to play with a round ball but can't tackle the way they are taught since they were kids while our lads can't use any skill because they get clattered because they are holding onto the ball too long, the only good point in the compromise game is the mark but it also slows down the game, maybe it could be brought into our game for kickouts only. Still I would prefer if the railway cup was brought back and promoted properly

riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 23/11/2015 12:54:15    1809223

Caught between the rock and a hard place with regards to the Mark , watched the game specifically with this aspect in mind , while its a total joy to watch a guy jump 10 ft in the air and pluck a ball out of the air , its equally maddening to watch a foot pass to someone not being marked 25 ft away and the game pausing , I think there is room for compromise maybe kickouts but honestly to bring it in as some would for any pass over 30 yards I think Id rather stick with the rules as they are now .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 23/11/2015 13:39:30    1809240

Riverboys I wouldn't worry about it too much, if the Aussie management team couldn't afford a match programme to tell them who the Irish players were and instead had to ask Kennelly its unlikely they will be able to afford to fly them out to Sydney for a trial! Its interesting that you are happy for lads to play soccer rather than GAA if they want a chance to represent their country, but think this series should be cancelled because of the chance of a couple of lads being lost to the game by being brought to Australia - it doesn't make much sense.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 23/11/2015 14:17:29    1809254

I know this game isn't everyone's cup of tea but I have to say I enjoyed the game.
As a keen follower of Aussie Rules it was great to see the AFL send a very strong team.Ireland did well to hold them off in the final quarter.

orange and blue (Tyrone) - Posts: 1080 - 23/11/2015 14:20:11    1809256

It'll be a sad legacy of the compromise experiment, if Ireland is held responsible for introducing puke football to Australian Rules, which could now occur after our blanket held firm on Saturday night last.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3423 - 23/11/2015 15:06:19    1809270

The blanket won't work there and it didn't work for Ireland on saturday either. Nearly cost us the game if anything. The mark completely mitigates against it. With the blanket a forward often gets his hands on the ball only to be bottled up and cough up possession. Easy to work a scoreable free with the mark.

dahayeser (Cork) - Posts: 337 - 23/11/2015 15:31:19    1809280

Was listening to ABC Radio Perth on Saturday. The result got the equivalent of one paragraph. There was no build-up before the game and, basically, as the Aussies say, nobody give's a rat's arse about international rules Down Under.

HOWEVER . . . It would certainly be taken very seriously indeed if one change was made - the use of the oval ball. Australia would go into meltdown if we beat them or even came close to it. As it is now, when the Aussies play International Rules they believe they are taking us on at our own game = and let's be honest, they kinda are.

The_Sweeper (UK) - Posts: 290 - 25/11/2015 13:40:07    1809817

The round ball is the only gaelic rule in it.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 25/11/2015 16:55:29    1809895

I would disagree with you there sweeper. The manner of tackling in the international rules goes completely against the ethos and style of how gaa players learn to play gaa. It is completely alien to them. Id happily play with an oval ball if they had to use gaa tackling in return.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 25/11/2015 17:26:24    1809903